Are we just chemically imbalanced??

[allergic2kryptonit]

I'm taking wellbutrin for anxiety and depression, and a beta blocker which keeps me from breaking out in blotchy redness under stress. I feel pretty good. Before, I was taking zoloft, and then had quit. I had some stress in my life b/c things started to go badly with my now ex girlfriend. I started to get anxiety, depression, and my self esteem was in the toilet. Now that I'm taking drugs again, I'm starting to feel better. Yes, I'm still hurt by my girlfriend dumping me, and I still have my "issues" with childhood crap, but I find myself starting to be more positive about stuff. I just wonder if the bullshit that happened when I was a kid permanently affected my brain chemistry, leading to social anxiety, low self esteem, etc -or- if i would've felt that way no matter how i was raised???

i started therapy, but i don't see how it's going to help me. i talk to a social worker for one hour every couple of weeks, and a psychiatrist now once every two months or so. how is that going to help me?? i go in there with all kinds of questions, and come out with them unanswered!??

 

[Quixote]

i started therapy, but i don't see how it's going to help me. i talk to a social worker for one hour every couple of weeks, and a psychiatrist now once every two months or so. how is that going to help me?? i go in there with all kinds of questions, and come out with them unanswered!??

I agree it's probably useless, I have never tried but I'm quite convinced. After all, what another person can do is give some good advice, but not much beyond that. Drugs are another matter, those may work for real. I feel I believe in chemistry more than I believe in sensible advice, lately

 

[MarCPatt]

I too wonder at times if I am the way I am because of genetics or due to my bad childhood. My husband thinks that my bad childhood pushed me into this stage. Though, I do notice that shyness runs in my family. A lot of my family members are shy and to themselves. Even the successful ones tend to be on the quiet side. So maybe I am genetically predisposed to shyness, but being abused as a child pushed me into SA. Who knows? The main problem is that SA is something I now live with, regardless of how it is that I came to suffer from it.

Doctors drive me more crazy than actually help me. I go to them seeking help and they never really give me an answer as to how I can overcome this problem. Most of the time they just push pills my way. Try this drug or that, or maybe not that one but this one. Urghhh! Drugs don't help me much. They aid me, can't deny that fact, but they don't help me fix the problem. I want a psychologist that can tell me what to do, not just sit there and listen to me tell my life story over and over and over. Why do they do this? Is it just to get our little bit of money?

 

[Alexp]

I think we need to be careful to not confuse genetics with chemical imbalance. We may inherent certain traits that make us more prone to SA, anxiety and depression, it doesn’t mean we are born with some screwy wiring.

Chemical imbalance is the perfect phrase for the drug companies…they make it sound like some disease only treatable with medication. Every person has the potential for SA, anxiety or depression… does that make all of us genetically flawed or diseased?

My view and I know its extremely unpopular is that there is no real chemical imbalance when talking about SA, anxiety and depression. Genetics yes, but not some disease like chemical imbalance. Who’s to say all those firing neurons are the result of your mind trying to adapt to unrealistic perceptions rather than some strange virus like chemical imbalance causing havoc in your brain.